(Man) The Kashfari skies were ablaze today, as U.S. drones bombed key military installations, a move many Americans are calling a much-needed show of strength on the part of President Fitzgerald Grant.

Although Kashfari government officials have denied...(Turns off tv)

(Rain falling)

72 hours, Mr. Prime Minister...

That's how much time you've got to find the hostages and deliver them to us alive.

Fail to do that, and I'll order a second round of strikes.

Have I made myself clear?

Clock starts now.

(Hangs up receiver) Let's see if he bites.

The press certainly did.

They're calling today's strikes a much-needed show of strength.

I should listen to my wife more often.

What?

The strikes were Mellie's idea.

She called it "blood for blood."

The woman can't handle a diaper change, but bombing a village? No problem.

(Laughter)

Well done, sir.

(Door opens)
(Door closes)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Mallory dropped out?

I'm afraid she had a last-minute change of heart.

And why is that?

Abby!

The Caldwell fund-raiser is tomorrow.

He needs a woman on his arm.The woman.

You put us completely back to square one.

I couldn't just let her...

She didn't know what she was getting into, Liv.

Not every political marriage ends up with...

Three broken ribs, a busted jaw, and a restraining order?

I'm sorry.

I look at that family and... it brings it all back.

If one chat with you is all it took, she didn't have the stomach for it anyway.

(Door opens)

(Clicks switch)

(Door closes)

(Thunderclap)

(Distant thud)

(Screeching sound in distance)

(Buttons clicking)

(Windshield wipers squeaking)

(Breathing heavily)

(Line ringing)

(Ringing and squeaking continue)

Come on, Huck.

(Grunting)

(Muffled shout)

(Gasping)

(Screaming) (Gasps)

(Ringing and squeaking continue)

(Continues grunting)

(Female voice) You have reached the voice mailbox of...

(Sighs) (Beeps)

(Footsteps approaching)

(Panting)

(Gasps) Please don't hurt me!

I know who killed Wendy.

I'm sorry I followed you.

It's called stalking. And thank you, by the way, for putting your phone on vibrate and taking a nap.

I don't nap. - Or whatever it is you did while I was being stalked.

David! Why were you following him?

I just wanted to talk. I-I know you didn't kill Wendy.

How? - Because she said she really liked him.

Wendy was my best friend. We told each other everything.

And she knew she had something really big.

She knew someone wanted to kill her for it.

Did she know who?

There was this guy...

I don't know who it was.

I saw them fighting outside her house once.

He was threatening her.

He s-said he wanted whatever she had on him.

That had to be him.

But the thing is, he knows I know.

He saw me watching, and now she's dead, and I'm the only one who knows who killed her.

Do you think he'll try and kill me?

Harrison, Abby, keep prepping Gayle and will for the gala.

Huck, put Molly somewhere safe, and see if there are any security cams outside Wendy's house that could give us a visual on this guy.

Maybe we can I.D. him.

What do you think?

Take her to the safe house, or spring for a room at the Stanworth?

Uh, do whatever you want.

(Door opens and closes)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

She backed out?

It happens sometimes.

They think they're on board, and when it's time to pull the trigger, they balk.

But we have a very strong runner-up.

She'll be ready in time for the fund-raiser.

(Marion) No. Enough is enough.

First choice, yes, it's worth the risk, but... - Marion.

This is Will's wife we're talking about here.

If he rushes into this with this woman, and then next week decides he hates her... - He'll get a divorce.

I know you have my best interests at heart, but the gala tomorrow night... That's my shot.

(Cell phone chimes) Those are the people whose wallets pick our party's leaders.

This second choice of ours... She good, Liv?

Because we're gonna need a real charmer now.

Who does she need to charm?

The President of the United States just agreed to be our keynote speaker tomorrow night.

(Exhales)

(Chuckles)

Can't you send someone else to the Caldwell gala?

Mellie, the Vice President, Secretary of Agriculture...

Anyone.

I didn't even know about it.

I had no idea he was even going.

You're kidding me.

I'm completely out of the loop, Liv.

But it's not the knife in my back that is upsetting to me.

It's the size of the knife in my back.

It's the... enormous knife, being stabbed over and over and over. - Cyrus.

She's got him. He looks to her.

He leans on her. He's her guy now.

Maybe that's how it should be.

She's his wife. She's the mother of his children.

This is Mellie we're talking about.

(Sighs) Whatever you feel about Fitz, whatever happened, leaving him to Mellie... That is low, Liv.

Cyrus.

Yeah, I-I know. I'm sorry. It's just...

I almost don't know who I am without him.

It's like...
(Sighs)

I don't know what to do with my hands, and she's shoving me out the door.

I can't figure out how to fight her.

(Thunder rumbling in distance)

Let Mellie be.

That's how you fight her.

Don't overthink it. Just let Mellie be.

Let Mellie do what Mellie's going to do.

When it comes to Fitz, Mellie's her own worst enemy.

Eventually, she's going to go too far and cross him.

You just need to be there when she does.

Besides, if that doesn't work, he'll be seeing me at the fund-raising gala.

Which should take the heat off you, because the only person Fitz hates more than you is me.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

I was telling her class what it's like to be a congressman, but it wasn't going very well.

Honey, they're first-graders.

They have the attention span of gnats.

Honestly, I couldn't take my eyes off her.

I was like a blushing schoolboy.
(Laughs)

Don't flinch when she touches you.

And don't call yourself "a blushing schoolboy."

In fact, don't ever say "blushing."

Find a place to disagree about the story.

Makes you sound less rehearsed.

Again.

Again.

First grade teacher from Nebraska.

What was her college major again?

Library studies.

Not to mention she's pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-family.

She wants kids.
(Exhales)

At least four.

And she water-skis... competitively.

And this was his second choice? Liv, you have outdone yourself.

Be a hell of a thing if this marriage became more than a political convenience, wouldn't it?

Yeah. A hell of a thing.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

These bombing raids are a death sentence for my son...

(Shutters clicking) And for all the other hostages of Kashfar.

This President is endangering my poor Charlie's life.

He is clearly not fit to be commander-in-chief.

You sure you don't want me to come with you tonight?

I could dig something up out of the closet.

It's a bunch of party bigwigs and oilmen.

You'd be bored to tears.

(Exhales)

(Knocks on door)

Just wanted to remind you, sir, to pay a little lip service to the chamber of commerce guys.

They'll be spending big come midterms.

Uh-huh.

He's under so much pressure, Cy.

It's terrible, isn't it? Approvals are free-falling.

He's coming off as a demon.

I wish there was something we could do.

It's not like we can tell the families that we're back-channeling with the Kashfaris.

We just have to take the beating.

Too bad Fitz can't meet with the families.

(Sighs) Be a media circus.

What if it were me?

You?

I'm good with parents. I speak their language.

What about the press?

The second these parents show up at the White House, we'll lose a week's worth of news cycles.

So we set up a conference call...

A private number the families can dial into.

I say my piece, I set them at ease...

Disaster averted.

(Woman speaking indistinctly on tv)

What would this White House do without you, Mellie?

(Exhales)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Sighs)

(Sighs)

(Cell phone chimes)

(Chimes and beeps) I have a car waiting.

One of the girls talked.

What? To who?

Editor of the "D. C. Dish."

He just called asking me to comment on the auditions we held to find a fake wife for, and I quote, "Senator Caldwell's gay brother."

How much does he know?

Everything, from rehearsals to confidentiality agreements.

(Exhales) Find out how much lead time we have.

None. They're running the story tomorrow morning.

(Exhales)

(Clicks switch)

This story cannot come out.

It'll destroy Will's political career.

I'm headed to the "D.C. Dish" now.

I bet it's the first girl who leaked it...the one Abby got to.

We deal with that later. Just do whatever...

And, Harrison, I mean whatever we need to do to shut this down!

Hey, Anne.

I'm on deadline, Cy. Come back in an hour.

I've got a big story for you. Biggest of the week.

An American civilian was beheaded in Kashfar, and in return you guys ignored international law and bombed half a dozen villages.

News-wise, I'd say it's already been a pretty big week.

8:00 tomorrow morning, the First Lady will be on a conference call, a conference call where she will speak very freely about what this administration is doing regarding the hostages.

She will speak freely because she won't, in fact, know that a reporter, hopefully yourself, will be on the line.

(Paper rustles)
(Clicks tongue)

Have I mentioned how much I like and respect you, Cy?

Anne.
You're welcome.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

The house across the street from Wendy's had a security cam.

Mm-hmm.

And look, right there...See that?

Mm-hmm.

Same night Molly saw Wendy fight with our mystery guy, and the time fits, too.

We should have Molly come in and take a look, see if she can I.D. him.

I'll call right now.

(Gasps)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

We're running this. End of story.

Off of one source?

Look around you.

This is the "Dish," not the "Times."

I ain't Bernstein, and my reporter sure as hell ain't Woodward.

I get it. You break this story...

However erroneous and fabricated... and what?

Sell out a day's worth of papers, score a few hundred thousand clicks?

Let me just ask you... would you rather break this story, or would you rather own this story?

What's your offer?

(Chuckles)

(Indistinct conversations)

She was so pretty, I-I still don't know how I made it through "Green Eggs and Ham."
(Laughs)

Keep in mind, there's only about five words on each page.

(Laughter) Thank you so much.

(Amplified voice) Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.

(Applause)

(Panting and rustling)

(Moans)

(Laughs and sighs)

Don't think this means anything.

(Exhales)

Don't worry! I don't!

When it comes to leadership, there's no better man than Will Caldwell.

(Applause)

I mean that.

Support him, and not only does North Carolina get a damn good Governor, but he'll be too busy to run against me in the primaries.

(Laughter)
(Chuckles) Thank you.

Thanks, everyone.

(Applause) Thank you.

Will Caldwell, Governor.

(Speaks inaudibly)

(Cell phone chimes)

(Chimes)

Harrison.

Well, now I know why you won't go out with me again.

You're having a torrid affair with Henderson.

It's Harrison, and he's my coworker.

Why are you calling?

Uh, you called me.

No... (Laughs) I didn't.

Yes, you did.

You said, "Jake, if I'm gonna go on a second date with you, I'm gonna need you to sell me."

You don't remember saying that?

No. So sell me.

Let me guess. We'll start at a Michelin-rated restaurant and end up picnicking under a bridge.

No, I was thinking the Metro.

Slap some Mac and cheese in a tupperware.

The Red Line's my favorite, but it's also the longest, so until I'm sure that I like you, you know, as much as you like me, I think it's best we start with something short, like the Green Line.

(Call waiting beep)

I have to go, Jake. I'm sorry. Can I call you back tomorrow?

And say hi to Henderson for me.

(Laughs) (Button clicks)

Tell me you shut it down.

I shut it down. It took me offering exclusivity on the Caldwell wedding photos and pretty much everything else for the rest of their heavily contracted marriage, but given what's at stake...

Small price to pay.

So where are we with the first girl?

You think we can muzzle her?

That's the thing.

I was talking to the editor, and he said the leak came from inside the family.

(Clicks phone)

Hello? Liv?

(Peter) He needs a wife.

(Olivia) You haven't dated anyone in the last ten years.

Why?- I'm sowing my oats. I don't want to settle down.

This is Will's wife we're talking about here.

If he rushes into this with this woman and then next week decides he hates her...

(Door clicks)

Be a hell of a thing if this marriage became more than a political convenience, wouldn't it?

Yeah. A hell of a thing.

(Echoes) A hell of a thing.

(Harrison) He said the leak came from inside the family.

I can't.

(Panting)

I have to go.

Marion...

Olivia.

Will.

End it. Now.

I don't know what you're talking...

I saw you. End it.

I don't care how much we're paying you.

You have no right to insert yourself into a private family...

I can't. It's too late.

Why?

Because I love her.

The day Pete brought her home ten years ago, I wasn't even supposed to be there.

I was supposed to be on a plane.

Sometimes I wonder, if I had just been somewhere else...

We denied it for months, because that's what you do.

You deny it. You pretend it's not happening.

You pretend it's all above board and it's appropriate, and the next thing you know, you're having s*x in the coat closet at your brother's engagement dinner.

Pete loves her. She's his wife.

And she and I...

Well, we have what we have. It might not be much, but it's what we have.

You have nothing.

You have a pile of secrets and lies, and you're calling it love.

And in the meantime, you're letting your whole life pass you by while they raise children and celebrate anniversaries and grow old together.